Nested balloon catheter for localized drug delivery

ABSTRACT

A balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue is described including an outer balloon having a wall with an opening therethrough and an inner surface, an inner balloon disposed in the outer balloon, enclosing an inflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space between the outer surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of the outer balloon, a catheter having a first lumen in fluid communication with the space between the inner balloon and the outer balloon for supplying the agent thereto, and a second lumen through which fluid is supplied to the inflation chamber for inflating the inner balloon to urge the agent out of the opening in the outer balloon, wherein the outer balloon and/or the inner balloon comprise at least one protrusion for directing the agent.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods and systems for deliveringtherapeutic and/or diagnostic agents to specific cellular locationswithin and adjacent to bodily tissues and cavities. More specifically,the invention relates to a method and system of localized delivery ofdiagnostic and/or therapeutic agents to bodily tissues and cavities viaa nested balloon catheter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In diagnosing and treating diseases of various body cavities and organs,it is necessary to deliver diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents to theorgans at specified locations. Most common routes of drug deliveryinclude a non-invasive peroral (through the mouth), topical (skin),transmucosal (nasal, buccal/sublingual, vaginal, ocular and rectal) andinhalation routes. However, many therapeutic and diagnostic agents ingeneral may not be delivered using these routes because they might besusceptible to enzymatic degradation or cannot be absorbed into thesystemic circulation efficiently due to molecular size and chargeissues, and thus, will not be therapeutically effective. For thisreason, many such drugs have to be delivered by injection.

There are several known problems associated with the injection process.One of such problems is undesirable extravasation of the diagnostic ortherapeutic agents into tissue, which is particularly prevalent withintravenously injected agents. Extravasation generally refers to leakageof fluids out of a container, and more specifically refers to leakage ofintravenous drugs from a vein into surrounding tissues, resulting in aninjury to the tissues. Once the intravenous extravasation has occurred,damage can continue for months and involve nerves, tendons and joints.If treatment is delayed, surgical debridement, skin grafting, and evenamputation have been known to be the unfortunate consequences.

Occurrence of extravasation is possible with all intravenuous drugs, butit is a particularly significant problem with cytoxic drugs used fortreatment of cancer (i.e. during chemotherapy).

Chemotherapy is the general term for any treatment involving the use ofchemical agents to stop cancer cells from growing. Chemotherapy caneliminate cancer cells at sites great distances from the originalcancer. As a result, chemotherapy is considered a systemic treatment.More than half of all people diagnosed with cancer receive chemotherapy.A chemotherapy regimen (a treatment plan and schedule) usually includesdrugs to fight cancer plus drugs to help support completion of thecancer treatment.

Chemotherapy can be administered through a vein, injected into a bodycavity, or delivered orally in the form of a pill, depending on whichdrug is used. Chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells.Unfortunately, it cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell andsome healthy cells. Thus, chemotherapy often eliminates not only thefast-growing cancer cells, but also other fast-growing cells in thebody, including hair and blood cells. Some cancer cells grow slowlywhile others grow rapidly. As a result, different types of chemotherapydrugs target the growth patterns of specific types of cancer cells.

Each chemotherapy drug works differently and is effective at a specifictime in a life cycle of the cell it targets. Brachytherapy, sometimescalled seed implantation, is an outpatient procedure used in thetreatment of different kinds of cancer. The radioactive “seeds” arecarefully placed inside of the cancerous tissue and positioned in amanner that will attack the cancer most efficiently. The radioactiveseeds are about the size of a grain of rice, and give off radiation thattravels only a few millimeters to kill nearby cancer cells. There aretwo different kinds of brachytherapy: permanent, when the seeds remaininside the body, and temporary, when the seeds are inside of the bodyand are then removed. With permanent implants (e.g. prostate), theradioactivity of the seeds typically decays with time.

The other type of chemotherapy is when cytotoxic agents are deliveredintravenously. Veins of people receiving chemotherapy are often fragile,mobile, and difficult to cannulate. Patients who receive chemotherapy atthe same site as radiotherapy may experience a reactivation of skintoxicity known as a “recall” phenomenon. Patients who have had previousradiation therapy at the site of injection may develop severe localreactions from cytotoxic drugs. Cytotoxic drugs also have the potentialto cause cutaneous abnormalities in areas that have been damagedpreviously by radiation, even in areas that are distant from theinjection site. Patients who receive further chemotherapy in a differentsite may experience an exacerbation of tissue damage in the originalsite.

Furthermore, areas of previous surgery where the underlying tissue islikely to be fibrosed and toughened dramatically present an increasedrisk of extravasation. Radical mastectomy, axillary surgery or lymphnode dissection may impair circulation in a particular limb. Thisreduces venous flow and may allow intravenous solutions to pool and leakaround the site of cannulation.

Some chemotherapy drugs often never reach the tumors they are intendedto treat because the blood vessels feeding the tumors are abnormal. Atumor's capillaries (small blood vessels that directly deliver oxygenand nutrients to cancer cells) can be irregularly shaped, beingexcessively thin in some areas and forming thick, snarly clumps inothers. These malformations create a turbulent, uneven blood flow, sothat too much blood goes to one region of the tumor, and too little toanother. In addition, the capillary endothelial cells lining the innersurface of tumor capillaries, normally a smooth, tightly-packed sheet,have gaps between them, causing vessel leakiness.

The systemic and intravenous side effects of chemotherapy coupled withthe limited effect of systemic administration due to abnormalcharacteristics of tumor blood vessels have given the scientificcommunity pause, in searching for more direct, localized and biologicsolutions. Accordingly, the oncology literature has become increasinglypopulated with articles espousing prospective benefits and positiveoutcomes of intra-tumoral chemotherapy. A direct administration ofcytotoxic drugs such as Mytomycin, Mytomycin-C, Bleomycin, Fluorouracil,Mitoxantrone, Cisplatin, and Avastin in endobronchial intra-tumoralchemotherapy has been done experimentally via direct injection of theagent into the endobronchial tumor. In these cases, the tumor wasreported to have died and been subsequently removed.

However, while some experimental uses of the localized delivery ofcytotoxic drugs have been attempted, there has been littleimplementation of such drug delivery in practice, possibly due tonumerous problems associated with such delivery. First, it is oftennecessary to deliver cytotoxic drugs to remote and not easily accessibleblood vessels and other lumens within body organs, such as lungs. It isalso important to be able to deliver defined doses of the cytotoxicsubstances because such substances are often very expensive or arecapable of causing serious harm if delivered in excess. Moreover, theexisting methods lack the ability to contain the cytotoxic agent and/orradiation therapy and mitigate collateral damage to non-affected anatomyand structures.

Several devices have been proposed for a targeted delivery of drugs tointernal bodily cavities, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,994,033 to Shokey et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,132 to Shaffer et al.In these systems, a catheter is provided with an inner balloon and anouter balloon. The inner balloon is inflated to dilate a lesion in anaffected blood vessel. The outer balloon is provided with openings, andthe drug is ejected out of the openings and into the lesion as the innerballoon is inflated.

While useful for treatment of stenotic lesions, these systems are notparticularly useful for other applications, such as treatment ofcancerous tumors, and are not efficient at infusing the relevantbiological material with the drug. Instead, the catheter may need toremain in place for an unnecessarily long period of time while theinfusion of the drug into the biological material is allowed to takeplace. This is undesirable, especially in applications such aspulmonology, where the patient's respiratory passage has been somewhatrestricted by the device. Further, this can result in some of the agentnever being infused into the targeted material and instead remaining inthe cavity and, after the balloon catheter is removed, subsequentlymigrating to other undesired portions of the body.

What is desired, therefore, is a balloon catheter system for deliveringtherapeutic and/or diagnostic agents to bodily tissues, tumors, andother biological materials that can locally deliver the agent to aspecific target site. What is further desired is a balloon cathetersystem for delivering therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents thatfacilitates the infusion of the drug into surrounding bodily tissues,tumors, and other biological materials. What is also desired is aballoon catheter system for delivering therapeutic and/or diagnosticagents that can adjust for changing conditions during the process ofdelivering the drug.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anested balloon catheter system that can deliver therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agents to bodily tissues, tumors, and other biologicalmaterials from within bodily cavities.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a nestedballoon catheter system that can target specific areas for the deliveryof therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents to bodily tissues, tumors, andother biological materials.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a nestedballoon catheter system that facilitates infusion of therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agents into surrounding bodily tissues, tumors, and otherbiological materials.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a nestedballoon catheter system for delivering therapeutic and/or diagnosticagents to bodily tissues, tumors, and other biological materials thatprovides physiological feedback from which the intra-lumen diameter ofthe bodily cavity can be determined, and the pressure and flow suppliedto the balloon can be adjusted accordingly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a nestedballoon catheter system for delivering therapeutic and/or diagnosticagents to bodily tissues, tumors, and other biological materials thatpermits the passage of bodily fluids through the system.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a nestedballoon catheter system for delivering therapeutic and/or diagnosticagents to bodily tissues, tumors, and other biological material thatprovides visualization from within the bodily cavity.

In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve atleast some of the objects and advantages listed, the invention comprisesa balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agentto tissue including an outer balloon having a wall with at least oneopening therethrough and an inner surface, and an inner balloon at leastpartially disposed in the outer balloon, at least partially enclosing aninflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space betweenthe outer surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of theouter balloon. The balloon catheter further includes a catheter having afirst lumen in fluid communication with the space between the outersurface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of the outer balloonfor supplying a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent thereto, and asecond lumen through which fluid is supplied to the inflation chamber ofthe inner balloon for inflating the inner balloon to urge thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent out of the at least one opening inthe wall of the outer balloon and into tissue. At least one of the outerballoon and the inner balloon comprise at least one protrusion fordirecting the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.

In some embodiments, the wall of the outer balloon has an abrasive outersurface for abrading tissue.

In certain embodiments, the balloon catheter further includes a fluidsource that supplies fluid to the second lumen of the catheter. In someof these embodiments, the fluid source is an electro-pneumatic pump. Incertain of these embodiments, the pump supplies fluid to the inflationchamber in pulsed fashion to repeatedly deflate and inflate the innerballoon. In other embodiments, the fluid source further comprises avacuum source that evacuates fluid from the inflation chamber.

In certain embodiments, the invention further includes a monitoringdevice for monitoring at least one patient vital sign, and the pumpcontrols the pressure to which the inner balloon is inflated based atleast in part on the monitored vital sign. In some embodiments, theinvention includes a monitoring device for monitoring at least onepatient vital sign, and the pump controls the supply of the therapeuticand/or diagnostic agent based at least in part on the monitored vitalsign.

In some advantageous embodiments, the balloon catheter includes animaging device disposed in the catheter for viewing tissue in a bodilycavity. In additional advantageous embodiments, the balloon catheterincludes at least one imaging marker mounted adjacent to the inner andouter balloons.

In some embodiments, a distal end of the catheter has an opening thereinand the catheter has a third lumen in fluid communication with theopening for passing bodily fluids through the catheter.

In certain embodiments, the balloon catheter includes at least onesensor for measuring at least one characteristic of tissue.

In some embodiments, the catheter further includes a distal balloonpositioned distally of the inner and outer balloons and a proximalballoon positioned proximally of the inner and outer balloons, whereinthe fluid source inflates the proximal balloon and the distal balloon bysupplying fluid thereto to create a chamber therebetween. In some ofthese embodiments, an outer surface of the proximal and distal balloonshas a textured surface for preventing slippage of the outer surface ontissue.

In certain advantageous embodiments, the fluid is a gas.

In some embodiments, the inner surface of the outer balloon includes atleast one protrusion for directing the therapeutic and/or diagnosticagent. In other embodiments, the outer surface of the inner balloonincludes at least one protrusion for directing the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent. In additional embodiments, the outer balloon has anouter surface and the outer surface includes at least one protrusion fordirecting the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.

In additional advantageous embodiments, the inner surface of the outerballoon includes a first protrusion having a shape, and the outersurface of the inner balloon includes a second protrusion correspondingto the shape of the first protrusion to create a channel therebetween.In yet further embodiments, the outer surface of the inner ballooncomprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first andsecond protrusions extending longitudinally and forming a channeltherebetween, wherein an outer surface of the outer balloon comprises athird protrusion having an annular shape, and wherein the at least oneopening in the wall of the outer balloon is enclosed by the thirdannular protrusion.

In certain advantageous embodiments, the wall of the outer balloon hasan outer surface comprising a mesh sleeve of elastic yarn. In somecases, the mesh sleeve is radiopaque.

The invention also comprises a balloon catheter for delivering atherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, including an outerballoon having a wall with at least one opening therethrough and aninner surface, and an inner balloon at least partially disposed in theouter balloon, the inner balloon at least partially enclosing aninflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space betweenthe outer surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of theouter balloon. The balloon catheter also includes a catheter having afirst lumen in fluid communication with the inflation chamber of theinner balloon for supplying fluid thereto to inflate the inner balloonand a second lumen in fluid communication with the space between theouter surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of the outerballoon for supplying a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent thereto. Theballoon catheter further includes a fluid source in fluid communicationwith the first lumen for inflating the inner balloon to urge thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent out of the at least one opening inthe wall of the outer balloon and into tissue, wherein the fluid sourcesupplies fluid to the first lumen in pulsed fashion to repeatedlyinflate and at least partially deflate the inner balloon.

The invention further comprises a method of localized delivery of atherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, including the step ofinserting a catheter into a bodily cavity, the catheter comprising anouter balloon having a wall with at least one opening therethrough andan inner surface, and an inner balloon at least partially disposed inthe outer balloon, the inner balloon at least partially enclosing aninflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space betweenthe outer surface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of theouter balloon. The method also includes the steps of supplying thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to the space between the outersurface of the inner balloon and the inner surface of the outer balloonvia a second lumen of the catheter, and inflating the inner balloon bysupplying fluid to the inflation chamber via a first lumen of thecatheter to urge the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent out of the atleast one opening in the wall of the outer balloon and into tissue. Themethod further includes the step of repeatedly deflating and inflatingthe inner balloon by supplying fluid to the inflation chamber in pulsedfashion.

In some embodiments, the wall of the outer balloon has an abrasive outersurface, and the step of inflating the inner balloon includes contactingtissue in the bodily cavity with the abrasive surface such that itabrades the tissue.

In certain embodiments, the step of delivering the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent to tissue further includes inflating the inner balloonuntil the wall of the outer balloon contacts tissue in the bodilycavity.

In some advantageous embodiments, the step of inflating the innerballoon comprises supplying fluid thereto with an electro-pneumaticpump.

In certain embodiments, the method further includes monitoring at leastone vital sign of a patient.

In certain advantageous embodiments, the method further includes thestep of using an imaging device disposed in the catheter to visualizetissue in the bodily cavity. In other advantageous embodiments, themethod further includes measuring at least one characteristic of tissuein the bodily cavity via at least one sensor.

In some embodiments, the agent is doxorubicin. In other embodiments, theagent is cisplatin, and the method further includes the step ofsupplying a second agent, the second agent being epinephrine. In furtherembodiments, the agent is 5-4 fluorouracil. In some embodiments, theagent is noscapine, and in some cases, the agent is diltiazem augmenttaxol. In other embodiments, the agent is crizotinib, gefitinib, orerlotinib hydrochloride. In some embodiments, the agent includes drugeluting microspheres, which in some cases, contain doxorubicin. In yetfurther embodiments, the agent is a combination of at least onetherapeutic agent and at least one biomarker, and the method furtherincludes the step of monitoring extravasation of the at least onetherapeutic agent into tissue via the at least one biomarker. In some ofthese embodiments, the biomarker is a radio-opaque marker.

In certain embodiments, the catheter further includes a distal balloonpositioned distally of the inner and outer balloons and a proximalballoon positioned proximally of the inner and outer balloons, whereinthe method further includes the step of inflating the distal andproximal balloons by supplying fluid thereto via at least one additionallumen of the catheter to create a chamber between the distal andproximal balloons, and wherein the step of delivering the therapeuticand/or diagnostic agent includes delivering the agent to the chamber.

In some embodiments, the step of delivering the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent further includes supplying the agent to a channeldefined by a first protrusion provided on the inner surface of the outerballoon and a second protrusion provided on the outer surface of theinner balloon such that the agent is delivered to a localized area inthe bodily cavity.

Other objects of the invention and its particular features andadvantages will become more apparent from consideration of the followingdrawings and accompanying detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a nested balloon catheter system fordelivering therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the catheter assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is a partially exposed, isometric view of the catheter assemblyof FIG. 1 positioned in a bodily cavity, showing the balloons in adeflated state.

FIG. 3B is a partially exposed, isometric view of the catheter assemblyof FIG. 1 positioned in a bodily cavity, showing the balloons in aninflated state.

FIG. 4 is a partially exposed, isometric view of another embodiment ofthe catheter assembly of FIG. 1 positioned in a bodily cavity.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a delivery mechanism of the catheterassembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an alternative embodiment of the catheterassembly of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate another alternative embodiment of the catheterassembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The basic components of one embodiment of a nested balloon cathetersystem in accordance with the invention are illustrated in FIG. 1. Asused in the description, the terms “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,”“over,” “under,” “above,” “beneath,” “on top,” “underneath,” “up,”“down,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “back,” “forward” and“backward” refer to the objects referenced when in the orientationillustrated in the drawings, which orientation is not necessary forachieving the objects of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the nested balloon catheter system (20) includes acatheter (22) and a fluid source (24). The catheter (22) may have anysuitable diameter and length depending on a particular application, andmay be flexible, rigid or semi rigid. The catheter (22) may be made withany commercially available material that is flexible enough to allow theshaft to be safely inserted through the available opening of a bodilycavity such that it will bend instead of puncturing the walls of thecavity, and at the same time is rigid enough such as it will maintainits shape as it is passed alongside and/or through the available openingof the bodily cavity. In an advantageous embodiment, the catheter (22)consists of a coil wire made of any suitable material, such as stainlesssteel, and a coating made of polyethylene. A distal end of the catheter(22) preferably includes a safety tip (not shown) that, when thecatheter (22) is inserted into a bodily cavity, will bend instead ofpuncturing the walls of the cavity.

Any suitable fluid source may be used in accordance with the presentinvention. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the fluid source(24) is an electro-pneumatic pump having controls on the front thereof,from which a physician or assistant can control the system (as well as aremote control unit), such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent ApplicationNo. 2010/0121270 by Gunday et al., the specification of which is herebyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety. A proximal end (28) ofthe catheter (22) is connected to the pump (24) via a connection port(30). The port (30) is provided with any suitable connector, such as aluer connector, for connection to the pump. The pump (24) supplies afluid, such as a gas, liquid, or mixture thereof, to the catheter (22).The pump (24) also includes a variety of capabilities for balloonidentification, proper inflation/deflation of the balloons, and feedbackmeasurements, many details of which are described in Gunday et al. Incertain advantageous embodiments, the pump (24) further includes avacuum source to evacuate fluid from the catheter (22).

In some embodiments, the catheter (22) includes a data device, whichmay, for example, be optical, RFID, flash memory, etc. As a result, thepump (24) is able to identify the type of catheter that is connected andread catheter characterization data (including pressure, volume,dimensions, etc.) included thereon, and then adjust its controlaccordingly based on user input.

The pump (24) also controls and regulates the pressure by monitoring andtaking into account one or more vital signs of the patient, such as bodytemperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. Forexample, in certain applications, it will be desirable to know thedegree to which the lung is inflated at any given time in order todeliver a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent at the right time.Similarly, in certain cases, it will be important to measure thesystolic and diastolic blood pressure, and at appropriate times, apply apressure that exceeds the systolic pressure in order to facilitateextravasation of an agent. In certain embodiments, the electro-pneumaticpump (24) interfaces with an external monitoring device to obtain andmonitor the patient vital signs to control the applied balloon pressureand/or the timing of the drug delivery. In other cases, the monitoringdevice is located in the pump (24).

In an advantageous embodiment, the catheter (22) also includes aconnection port (36) for insertion of an imaging device (38). Thestructure and operation of the imaging device is described in moredetail below.

The nested balloon catheter system (20) also includes a double balloonconstruct positioned at a distal end (26) of the catheter (22). Thedouble balloon construct consist of an outer balloon (32) and an innerballoon (34) at least partially disposed in the outer balloon. Theballoons (32, 34) may be made of latex, Yulex, polyethylene, nylon orother suitable material, and may come in a variety of sizes anddiameters, which allow the nested balloon catheter system (20) to beused in bodily cavities of various diameters and dimensions, such aslarge and small bronchial branches, sinuses, and blood vessels, havingdifferent types of tumors and tissues to be treated. In certainembodiments, the balloon surfaces include an inert coating, such as abiocompatible lubricant, that facilitates the flow of drugs and agentsbetween the balloons.

The outer balloon (32) has a wall with at least one opening therethroughand an inner surface. The inner balloon (34) at least partially enclosesan inflation chamber (37) into which fluid is supplied from the fluidsource (24) to inflate the inner balloon (34). An outer surface of theinner balloon (34) defines a space (39) between the inner surface of theouter balloon (32) and the outer surface of the inner balloon (34). Thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is supplied to the space (39) and isthen delivered to tissue through the openings in the wall of the outerballoon (32).

In some advantageous embodiments, the outer balloon (32) has a texturedouter surface that acts as a gripping surface for attachment to bodilytissues, such as blood vessel walls. In other advantageous embodiments,the outer surface of the outer balloon (32) has a micro-abrasion surfaceintended to abrade the airway or vessel walls to stimulate bleeding andto instigate leukocyte extravasation and perpetuate fluid extravasationwhen volumetric pressure or force is applied to the abraded surface ofthe vessel wall to neutralize hemodynamic shear forces and furtherstimulate the extravasation process and associated cellular absorptionof the diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents into the adjacent tissues.

In the embodiments wherein the outer balloon (32) has the abrasiveand/or gripping surface, the outer surface of the outer balloon (32)includes a fiber mesh affixed to the surface during the molding process,which produces outwardly-facing protrusions that assist in grippingtissue in the bodily cavity and/or that optimize the abrasion capabilityof the balloon. The fiber mesh may be made of lycra, polyurethane,nylon, nylon coated with other materials such as cotton, compositesprings, or other appropriate material. In other embodiments,dimensional surface structures or inflatable sinuses that areencapsulated in the surface substrate of the outer balloon (32) may beused to produce the surface protrusions.

In an advantageous embodiment of the nested balloon catheter, the innerballoon (34) and the outer balloon (32) are not bonded together. Theinner balloon (34) is bonded at one end to the catheter (22), and thenis pulled over the bonded end. The same is done at the other end, suchthat the inner balloon (34) curves inward towards the bonded parts wheninflated, as shown in FIG. 1. The outer balloon (32) is pulled away fromthe bonded parts such that the outer balloon (32) curves outwards uponinflation, as also shown in FIG. 1. Such design creates extra spacebetween the inner balloon (34) and the outer balloon (32) foraccommodating the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.

In certain advantageous embodiments, at least one of the balloons (32,34) includes imaging markers, such as radio opaque rings, located at ornear the ends thereof. Such markers can be selected and appropriatelypositioned in order to reflect the relevant waves of various imagingmodalities (e.g., x-ray) in order to allow the use of such modalities toassist with the precise positioning of the balloons (32, 34). Similarly,the balloon or balloon mesh may include radiopaque material, such as amesh made of yarn having radiopaque iron fibers.

The catheter (22) includes a first lumen (33) and a second lumen (35),as shown in FIG. 2. The first lumen (33) is in fluid communication withthe space (39) between the inner surface of the outer balloon (32) andthe outer surface of the inner balloon (34) via an opening (49). Thefirst lumen is used to supply the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent tothe space (39), and then through the openings (44) in the wall of theouter balloon (32) into tissue in the bodily cavity. The second lumen(35) is in fluid communication with the inflation chamber (37) in theinner balloon (34) via at least one opening (40) in the catheter (22).The second lumen (35) is used to supply fluid from the fluid source (24)to the inflation chamber (37) to inflate the inner balloon (34).

The catheter (22) further includes a center lumen (46), which can beused to deliver any number of things to assist insertion and positioningof the nested balloon catheter system (20) within the bodily cavity andto carry out various medical procedures. It should be noted thatadditional lumens may be provided in the catheter (22) for introductionof various medical instruments to carry out various diagnostic ortherapeutic procedures. The center lumen (46) can also be used as abypass channel to allow bodily fluids, such as air or blood, to flowthrough the balloon catheter, which is necessary in certain medicalapplications, e.g. pulmonology or cardiology. Though not all are shown,the referenced lumens each terminate and are accessible at the proximalend of the catheter (26). In certain cases, the lumen (46) is connectedat the proximal end to a respiratory device.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a stepwise operation of the nested ballooncatheter system (20) in a bodily cavity. The catheter assembly (22) isfirst inserted into a bodily cavity (48) until the double balloonconstruct (32, 34) is in the vicinity of the target site, which in thiscase is a tumor (42). As shown in FIG. 3A, once the catheter (22)reaches the desired position along the bodily cavity (48), fluid issupplied to the inflation chamber (37) via the lumen (35) in thecatheter (22) through the plurality of openings (40) to inflate theinner balloon (34). It should be noted that, although the plurality ofopenings (40) in the catheter (22) in illustrated in FIG. 3A, oneopening is sufficient to supply fluid to inflate the inner balloon (34).

As the inner balloon (34) becomes inflated, a therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent is supplied via the lumen (33) in the catheter (22) tothe space (39) between the inner balloon (34) and the outer balloon(32). The agent is supplied through the openings (49) in the catheter(22) positioned within the space (39), such that the agent fills thespace (39) between the balloons. As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the innerballoon (34) is continuously inflated and the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent is urged out of the openings (44) in the wall of theouter balloon (32) and into the tumor tissue (42).

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3B, the inner balloon (34) is fullyinflated, such that the wall of the outer balloon (32) is pressedagainst the tumor tissue (42), which facilitates the absorption of thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent into the tissue. However, it shouldbe understood that the inner balloon (34) can be only partiallyinflated, such that the agent is pushed out of the openings in the outerballoon (32) into a space between the tumor tissue (42) and the wall ofthe outer balloon (32).

In some advantageous embodiments, the outer balloon (32) is alsoinflated by supplying fluid thereto by the fluid source (24) via anadditional lumen in the catheter (22), separate from the lumen (33) usedto supply the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent. In these embodiments,the outer balloon (32) can be inflated such that the wall of the outerballoon (32) presses against the tumor tissue (42), and then the agentis delivered through the openings (44) into the tissue. This way, theagent can be delivered to a more precisely targeted area of the tissue.Additionally, the inflation of the outer balloon (32) can assist inanchoring the balloon assembly within the bodily cavity during the drugdelivery process.

Any of various agents useful in therapeutic application can be deliveredin the above described manner. For example, the agent may comprise oneor more chemical or biological compounds with useful pharmacologicalproperties, as well as any other compounds or other substances withmedicinal or other therapeutic uses. Such agents may be synthetic ornatural, so long as they have an advantageous therapeutic effect thatcan obtained by delivering the agent to a target site. In certainembodiments, agents particularly useful for chemotherapies, radiationtherapies, or immunotherapies are delivered as described above.

In some advantageous embodiments, a cytotoxic substance or other agentuseful for chemotherapy is delivered to a target site via the nestedballoon catheter system of the present invention. For example, in somecases, the catheter system is used to deliver a chemical agent thataffects cell division or DNA synthesis. Such agents include, forexample, alkylating antineoplastic agents, such as cisplatin,carboplatin, oxaliplatin, mechlorethamine, carmustine, cyclophosphamide,chlorambucil, ifosfamide, busulfan, treosulfan, melphalan hydrochloride,thiotepa, and dacarbazine; anti-metabolites, such as azathioprine,mercaptopurine, thioguanine, fludarabine, pentostatin, cladribine,fluorouracil, floxuridine, cytosine arabinoside, gemcitabine,methotrexate, pemetrexed, and raltitrexed; anthracenedioneantineoplastic agents, such as mitoxantrone; anthracyclines, suchdactinomycin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, epirubicin, idarubicin,valrubicin, aclarubicin, and bleomycin; plant alkaloids and terpenoids,such as noscapine, vincristine, vinblastine, vinorelbine, vindesine,podophyllotoxin, paclitaxel, and docetaxel; topoisomerase inhibitors,such as irinotecan, topotecan, amsacrine, etoposide, etoposidephosphate, and teniposide; and other agents with similar mechanisms ofaction, such as mitomycin C.

Other such agents include those that target molecular abnormalities,including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as crizotinib, gefitinib,erlotinib hydrochloride, imatinib, and imatinib mesilate. Still othersuch agents include those that modulate tumor cell behavior withoutactually attacking the cells, such as may be employed for hormonetreatments. Indeed, any drug known to be efficacious in treatingcancerous cells, such as streptozotocin or diltiazem augment taxol, maybe employed.

In certain advantageous embodiments, a biological response modifier orother biological agent useful for immunotherapy is delivered to a targetsite via the balloon catheter system. Such agents, which are oftencytokines, may be a recombinant, synthetic, or natural preparation.These biological agents may include, for example, interferons, such asalpha-interferons and beta-interferons; interleukins, such asaldesleukin; colony-stimulating factors, such as filgrastim,sargramostim, epoetin, and oprelvekin; monoclonal antibodies, such asedrecolomab, rituximab, trastuzemab, gemtuzumab, alemtuzumab,nimotuzumab, cetuximab, bevacizumab, ibritumomab, panitumumab, andtositumomab; cancer vaccines; gene therapies; and non-specificimmunomodulating agents. Any biologic known to useful forimmunotherapies, such as asparaginase, may be employed.

In some advantageous embodiments, the therapeutic agent is delivered indrug eluting microspheres, which can be used both to cause theembolization of blood vessels that supply undesirable tissues and toretain the drug in a localized area for a sustained period of time. Forexample, drug-eluting microspheres can be used to deliver achemotherapeutic drug, such as doxorubicin, to a tumor. When themicrospheres reach the target site, they will block vessels supplyingthe tumor, and this suppression of blood flow will lead to ischemia.Over time, the microspheres break down, and the drug will be absorbed bythe tissue. As a result, not only is a localized sustained release ofthe drug achieved, but the ischemia will also increase the effect of thedrug on the tumor.

The above described delivery of therapeutic agents is also useful forradiation therapies, in which high-energy radiation is used to killcancer cells and shrink tumors. One method of such therapy placesradioactive material in the body near the cancer cells. Thus, in certainadvantageous embodiments, a radioactive substance, such as aradiolabeled monoclonal antibody, is supplied via the nested ballooncatheter and extravasated into nearby tissue as described below.

Various agents may also be employed to assist in making diagnosticobservations or monitoring procedures. For example, in some advantageousembodiments, the above described system may be used to deliver acontrast agent that allows or improves visualization via one or imagingmodalities, which can be used to image the extravasation of the agentinto the surrounding tissues throughout the course of a procedure. Suchagents may include, for example, radiocontrast agents, such as iodine orbarium, to improve X-ray based imaging techniques; MRI contrast agents,such as gadolinium, to improve magnetic resonance imaging; andmicrobubble contrast agents, to improve ultrasound imaging.

In some advantageous embodiments, biomarkers are used together with atherapeutic agent to observe and monitor the extravasation of the agentinto the surrounding tissues. In some of these advantageous embodiments,CF3PM & MTFN-1 fluorinated radio-opaque biomarkers are used. Thebiomarkers may be detected by various non-invasive imaging modalities,such as X-Ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound, spectroscopy, etc.

With the addition of an appropriate inert dye or contrast media (e.g.,radioactive, polarized, florescent, temperature sensitive) to a drug tobe extravasated, the drug infusion rate and the amount of drug infusedinto the tissue can be monitored, quantified, and recorded/displayed,such as, for example, by capturing and storing sequential video framesunder different illumination conditions (UV, IR, polarized, colorfilters, etc.). Further, by deploying a contrast agent along with atherapeutic agent, one can visually identify the extravasation depthsand/or discern the requisite volumetric pressure, force, temperature,frequency and/or time to achieve efficacious delivery of the therapeuticagent to the desired depth of penetration at the intended treatmentsite.

As described above, in certain advantageous embodiments, the wall of theouter balloon (32) has an abrasive surface. In these embodiments, theinner balloon (34) is first fully inflated, such that the abrasivesurface of the outer balloon (32) abrades the tissue to stimulate a flowof leukocytes to the target tissue site, and then the agent is deliveredto tissue through the openings in the outer balloon (32). Thisstimulates extravasation and associated cellular absorption of thediagnostic and/or therapeutic agent into the tissue. Alternatively, theagent is first urged into tissue by inflation of the inner balloon (34),and then the inner balloon is repeatedly inflated and deflated to abradethe tissue with the abrasive surface of the outer balloon (32).

In further embodiments, after the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent isurged out of the openings (44) in the outer balloon (32), the pump (24)supplies fluid to the inflation chamber (37) in pulsed fashion torepeatedly inflate and deflate the inner balloon (34). This causes achange in volumetric pressure exerted on a bodily lumen wall toneutralize hemodynamic shear forces and to stimulate extravasation ofthe therapeutic agent into tissue. As explained above, the pump canapply controlled pressure that is synchronized with the patient's vitalsigns.

The catheter (22) can have multiple lumens to supply therapeutic agentsto the space (39) between the inner and outer balloons (32, 34), whichallows for delivery of multiple agents separately, as may be desiredwhen using two different pharmaceuticals that should not be mixed untiljust before being extravasated into bodily tissue. For example, as shownin FIG. 2, the catheter (22) can include two delivery channels (33) and(51), each supplying a different agent via the openings (49) and (53)respectively. Likewise, one may need to deliver one medicinal agent atthe beginning of the procedure, and another medicinal agent at a latertime during the procedure. In case where it is desirable to deliver twoincompatible agents separately to prevent contamination, the space (39)between the balloons can be divided into several compartments, with eachlumen leading to an opening into a separate compartment for delivery ofa particular agent. Similarly, one may wish to deliver a second agent ata slightly different location than the first agent, which can beaccomplished by providing two separate compartments between theballoons, for example one at the distal end of the balloons and theother at the proximal end of the balloons, and delivering each agent totissue adjacent to each of the compartments.

In an advantageous embodiment, an imaging device disposed in one of thelumens of the catheter (22) can be used to help position the inner andouter balloons at the proper location. For example, the lumen (33) thatdelivers the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent may be large enough toalso accommodate the imaging device, such that the imaging device canexit one of the openings (49), through which the agent is delivered intothe space (39) between the balloons. In this embodiment, the wall of theouter balloon (32) is transparent such that the imaging device can viewthe surrounding tissue through the wall.

In other embodiments, both the inner and outer balloons (32, 34) aretransparent, and the imaging device can be introduced via the lumen(35), through which fluid is supplied to the inflation chamber (37) toinflate the inner balloon (34), out one of the openings (40) and intothe inner balloon (34) in order to view the surrounding area through thetransparent wall of the inner and outer balloons. Alternatively, anadditional lumen can be provided in the catheter (22) to accommodate theimaging device, such as the center lumen (46), and this lumen canconnect to an opening leading to the inside of the inner balloon (34) orto the space (39) between the inner balloon (34) and the outer balloon(32).

In some advantageous embodiments, the distal end of the catheter (22)includes a transparent membrane made out of any suitable material. Theimaging device is extended through one of the lumens of the catheter tothe membrane, which allows for visualization of the area ahead of thecatheter (22). In this way, the physician can be provided withilluminated light and direct visual feedback of the area ahead of theballoon catheter, along the sides of the balloons, and/or behind theballoons.

In other advantageous embodiments, the lumen of the catheter (22), inwhich the imaging device is disposed, has an opening at a distal end,and the imaging device is extended out of the opening to visualizetissue in front of the nested balloon catheter system (20). In thisembodiment, the catheter (22) can also be provided with a cleaningdevice at the distal tip for cleaning the imaging device. The cleaningdevice is made with any suitable type of material, such as textilebundle, and is affixed to an inner surface of the catheter (22) adjacentto the opening at the distal end. The imaging device is cleaned bymoving it back and forth through the textile bundle, thus wiping a lensof the imaging device.

The imaging device can be any device suitable for viewing the targetarea, such as a coherent fiber bundle or appropriate optical element andlens assembly in conjunction with an imaging sensor (e.g., CMOS, CCD),having a sufficiently small outer diameters, such as, for example, 0.75mm-1.5 mm. In some cases, the imaging device has a pre-shaped distal tipthat enables it to easily extend through one of the aforementionedopenings. The distal tip of the imaging device is preferably flexiblesuch that it can be translated linearly or rotationally thereby allowingfor 360° visualization of the surrounding area.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the nested balloon cathetersystem of the present invention. In this embodiment, the catheterfurther includes a proximal balloon (50) and a distal balloon (52)positioned along the catheter (22) on both sides of the double balloonassembly (32, 34). The catheter includes two additional lumens, one influid communication with the proximal balloon (50) and the other influid communication with the distal balloon (52). It should be notedthat a single lumen can be provided instead of the two lumens to supplyfluid to both proximal and distal balloons.

In an advantageous embodiment, the proximal and distal balloons (50, 52)are provided with a textured surface that assists in gripping of theballoons to the surrounding tissue upon inflation to facilitate securepositioning of the balloons in the bodily cavity. The walls of theproximal and distal balloons (50, 52) can be made transparent to enablevisualization via an imaging device disposed inside the balloons, asdescribed above with respect to the inner and outer balloons.

Once the balloon catheter is introduced into a bodily cavity andpositioned at a target site, the proximal balloon (50) and the distalballoon (52) are inflated by supplying fluid thereto by the pump (24)via the lumens, as discussed above. The proximal and distal balloons(50, 52) are inflated simultaneously to create a chamber therebetween(54), into which the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents are deliveredthrough the openings in the outer balloon (32). Alternatively, thedistal balloon (52) is inflated first and is used as an anchor to securethe balloon catheter assembly at the target site, and then the proximalballoon (50) is inflated to create the chamber (54).

The chamber (54) functions to isolate the target treatment site from thesurrounding tissue, which is particularly desirable during delivery ofhighly toxic chemotherapy agents to decrease exposure to such agents.Additionally, by creating the fluidly isolated chamber (54), it ispossible to change volumetric pressure within the chamber to facilitateextravasation of the agent into target tissue. This can be achieved byrepeatedly inflating and deflating the inner balloon (32) and/or theouter balloon (34) such that the fluid pressure in the chamber (54) isincreased and decreased.

Once the agents have been delivered and extravasted into the tissue atthe target site, any remaining agent can be evacuated from the chamber(54) via the same openings and lumens through which they were suppliedto the chamber (54) using suction. In certain advantageous embodiments,the fluid source (24) produces a negative pressure to vacuum out theagents. Alternatively, additional lumens and corresponding openings maybe employed in the manner previously described to evacuate the agentsthrough lumens different from those used to supply the agents to thechamber (54). Regardless, the various lumens and corresponding openingscan be used to cyclically deliver and evacuate the agents and variousother fluids instantly, sequentially, intermittently and/or continuouslyover designated time intervals.

In some embodiments, one of the lumens of the catheter (22) is used tosupply an irrigation fluid. For example, when using both a therapeuticagent and a contrast agent, once the contrast agent has reached, andsufficiently saturated, the intended treatment site, any remainingcontrast agent can be vacuumed out of the chamber (54). The chamber (54)can then be irrigated, lavaged, and suctioned to remove any residualagent.

The therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent can be delivered to the lumen(33) via any suitable mechanism. In one advantageous embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is contained in a drugcapsule (56) adapted to be positioned into a delivery apparatus (58).The drug capsule (56) is prefilled with the agent and is sealed at adistal end by a piercable membrane (62) and at a proximal end by aslidable piston (64). The capsule (56) can be made out of any suitablematerial, and preferably is transparent such that the amount of theagent delivered can be monitored. The size of the drug capsule (56) andthe amount of the agent it can hold can be variable depending on aparticular application. For example, the capsule (56) can be filled withthe amount of the agent to be delivered plus the amount needed to primethe drug delivery lumen (33) of the catheter (22). The drug deliverylumen (33) can also be primed before the catheter (22) is deployed tothe target area.

The drug capsule (56) fits into a capsule compartment (60) of thedelivery apparatus (58), which is connected to the delivery lumen (33)at a distal end and is connected to a fluid source (68) at a proximalend via a lumen (66). The fluid source (68) can be the same pump that isused to inflate the inner balloon or can be a separate pump. A distalend (70) of the capsule compartment has a needle (80) or any othersuitable piercing device that functions to pierce the membrane (62) ofthe capsule (56). A proximal end (72) of the capsule compartment has anactuation mechanism adapted to actuate the piston (64) of the capsule(56). The capsule compartment (60) is preferably made out of transparentmaterial such that the location of the piston can be determined andtherefore the amount of the agent delivered can be observed andmonitored.

The capsule (56) filled with the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent isfirst positioned into the capsule compartment (60) of the deliveryapparatus (58), such that the membrane (62) is pierced by the needle(80) located at the distal end (70) of the capsule compartment (60) toallow the agent to exit out towards the delivery lumen (33). Once thedrug capsule (56) is securely positioned inside the capsule compartment(60), the actuation mechanism actuates the piston (64) such that itmoves towards the distal end of the capsule (56), ejecting thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent out of the capsule into the deliverylumen (33) of the catheter (22). If the agent to be delivered to tissueis in gaseous form, the delivery apparatus (58) can further include avalve (not shown) positioned at the distal end of the apparatus beforethe connection to the drug delivery lumen (33). The valve controls howmuch gaseous agent is delivered to the lumen (33), as well as thedelivery time.

The actuator mechanism of the delivery apparatus (58) can be a pneumaticcylinder, into which fluid is supplied by the fluid source (68), whereinfluid pressure pushes the piston (64) forward, ejecting the agent out ofthe capsule (56). In other embodiments, the actuator mechanism can be anelectrical motor, e.g. a stepper or a servo motor. The actuatormechanism is connected to a controller that controls the quantity of theagent to be delivered and the delivery time period. The controller canbe pre-programmed to deliver the exact quantity of drug over the exactamount of time, or it can be operated manually by the user during theprocedure.

The piston (64) is preferably provided with a sensor, e.g. a magneticsensor, mechanical or optical encoder, or any other suitable type ofsensor, so that the position of the piston can be detected andcommunicated to the controller, which then determines how much drug hasbeen delivered. A pressure transducer can also be provided at the distalend of the delivery apparatus (58) for measuring pressure in the drugdelivery lumen (33) and reporting it to the controller that regulatesthe drug delivery rate with the balloon pressures and detects anyproblems that may arise. The controller also regulates and modulates theinflation and deflation of the inner balloon.

It should be noted that other embodiments of the drug delivery mechanismcan be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention.The drug capsule prefilled with the agent to be delivered can be primedat any location along the catheter (22), such as, for example, adjacentto the balloons (32, 34). The capsule can be disposed in the outerhousing of the catheter or in any of the catheter lumens.

FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate another advantageous embodiment of the innerballoon and the outer balloon of the nested balloon catheter system.FIG. 6A illustrates a portion of a catheter (102) with an inner balloon(104) disposed thereon. A wall of the inner balloon (104) has an innersurface and an outer surface, and at least partially encloses aninflation chamber (112). The catheter (102) includes a plurality ofopenings (110), through which fluid is supplied from a fluid source tothe inflation chamber (112) via one of the catheter lumens to inflatethe inner balloon (104). The catheter also includes at least one opening(108) positioned outside of the inner balloon (104), through which atherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is supplied via another lumen of thecatheter (102). The outer surface of the inner balloon's wall has aprotrusion (106) extending above the wall surface. The protrusion (106)has a tear-drop shape terminating at the distal end of the inner balloon(104) adjacent to the opening (108).

FIG. 6B illustrates a top view of the catheter assembly (102), showingboth the inner balloon (104) and an outer balloon (114). A wall of theouter balloon (114) has a protrusion (116) on an inner surface,extending beyond the inner surface of the outer balloon (116) towardsthe outer surface of the inner balloon (104). The protrusion (116) isshaped such that it corresponds to the shape of the protrusion (106),forming a channel (120) defined by the two protrusions (106, 116)between the inner surface of the outer balloon (114) and the outersurface of the inner balloon (104). The wall of the outer balloon (114)has a plurality of openings (118) positioned adjacent to the channel(120). When the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is supplied to thespace between the two balloons (104, 114) through the opening (108) inthe catheter (102), the agent flows through the channel (120) and isthen urged out of the openings (118) into adjacent tissue.

This is further illustrated in FIGS. 6C and 6D, which show longitudinaland transverse cross-sectional views of the catheter assembly (102). Thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent is delivered via a catheter lumen(122) through the opening (108) and into the space between the innerballoon (104) and the outer balloon (114). The agent collects in thechannel formed by the protrusion (106) on the outer surface of the innerballoon (104) and the protrusion (116) on the inner surface of the outerballoon (114). As the inner balloon (104) is inflated, the agent ispushed out of the openings (118) into the tissue. Such design allows formore precise delivery of the agent to the targeted tissue by preventingor minimizing the agent from exiting the targeted tissue area.

The protrusions (106, 116) on the inner balloon (104) and the outerballoon (114) are formed during the balloon manufacturing process. Forexample, a mandrel used during the balloon molding process can havedepressions that correspond to the desired protrusions to be formed onthe surface of the balloons. When the mandrel is dipped into the balloonmaterial, such as latex or yulex, the material fills the depressions.The formed balloon is then removed from the mandrel and turned insideout such that the excess material in the depressions is now on theoutside surface of the balloon, forming the protrusions.

FIGS. 7A-7D illustrate an additional embodiment of the double balloonconstruct of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.7A, an inner balloon (204) has length-wise protrusions (206) on theouter surface of the balloon that run from a distal end to a proximalend of the balloon. The protrusions (206) form a channel (220)therebetween that originates and terminates at openings (208) in thecatheter (202) through which the agent is supplied. The middle sectionof the channel (220) is wider to allow the agent to pool in thatsection.

An outer balloon (214) has a circular protrusion (216) provided on theouter surface of the balloon (214) and extending outwardly from theballoon (214), as illustrated in FIG. 7B. A wall of the outer balloon(214) has perforations (218) in the area inside the circular protrusion(216). As shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D, the therapeutic and/or diagnosticagent is delivered via a catheter lumen (222) through the openings (208)into the space between the inner balloon (204) and the outer balloon(214). The agent is directed through the channel (220) and collects inthe wider section of the channel. The inner balloon (204) is inflatedsuch that the circular protrusion (216) of the outer balloon (214) ispressed against the target tissue area and the agent is pushed out ofthe openings (218) into the target tissue. The circular protrusion (216)assists in containing the agent within an isolated area such that it isdelivered directly to the target tissue area.

It should be understood that the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 6A-6D and7A-7D are only illustrative and that other configurations of theballoons can be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.For example, the protrusions can be provided only on the surface of theinner balloon or only the surface of the outer balloon. Further, theprotrusions can have any desirable shape and configuration depending onwhere the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent needs to be delivered.

The nested balloon catheter system (20) of the present invention canalso be used to supply various media, e.g. light based therapies,radiofrequency wave forms, thermal energies and temperatures, andpressured air, to modulate cellular response sufficient to achievetumoral destruction and to alter cellular membrane integrity tofacilitate extravasation of medicinal and/or diagnostic agents intobodily tissues.

It should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative and notlimiting, and that obvious modifications may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly,reference should be made primarily to the accompanying claims, ratherthan the foregoing specification, to determine the scope of theinvention.

1. A balloon catheter for delivering a therapeutic and/or diagnosticagent to tissue, comprising: an outer balloon having a wall with atleast one opening therethrough and an inner surface; an inner balloon atleast partially disposed in said outer balloon, said inner balloon atleast partially enclosing an inflation chamber and having an outersurface defining a space between the outer surface of said inner balloonand the inner surface of said outer balloon; a catheter having a firstlumen in fluid communication with the space between the outer surface ofsaid inner balloon and the inner surface of said outer balloon forsupplying a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent thereto; and a secondlumen through which fluid is supplied to the inflation chamber of saidinner balloon for inflating said inner balloon to urge the therapeuticand/or diagnostic agent out of the at least one opening in the wall ofsaid outer balloon and into tissue; wherein at least one of said outerballoon and said inner balloon comprise at least one protrusion fordirecting the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent; and wherein the outersurface of said inner balloon comprises a first protrusion and a secondprotrusion, the first and second protrusions extending longitudinallyand forming a channel therebetween, wherein an outer surface of saidouter balloon comprises a third protrusion having an annular shape, andwherein the at least one opening in the wall of said outer balloon isenclosed by the third annular protrusion.
 2. A balloon catheter fordelivering a therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to tissue, comprising:an outer balloon having a wall with at least one opening therethroughand an inner surface; an inner balloon at least partially disposed insaid outer balloon, said inner balloon at least partially enclosing aninflation chamber and having an outer surface defining a space betweenthe outer surface of said inner balloon and the inner surface of saidouter balloon; a catheter having a first lumen in fluid communicationwith the space between the outer surface of said inner balloon and theinner surface of said outer balloon for supplying a therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent thereto; and a second lumen in fluid communication withthe inflation chamber of said inner balloon for supplying fluid theretoto inflate said inner balloon; and a fluid source in fluid communicationwith said second lumen for inflating said inner balloon to urge thetherapeutic and/or diagnostic agent out of the at least one opening inthe wall of said outer balloon and into tissue; wherein said fluidsource supplies fluid to said second lumen in pulsed fashion torepeatedly inflate and at least partially deflate said inner balloon. 3.The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein at least one of said outerballoon and said inner balloon comprise at least one protrusion fordirecting the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.
 4. The ballooncatheter of claim 3, wherein the at least one protrusion is formed by atleast one of an inner balloon wall and the outer balloon wall.
 5. Theballoon catheter of claim 2, wherein the inner surface of said outerballoon comprises at least one protrusion for directing the therapeuticand/or diagnostic agent.
 6. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein theouter surface of said inner balloon comprises at least one protrusionfor directing the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.
 7. The ballooncatheter of claim 2, wherein said outer balloon has an outer surface andwherein the outer surface of said outer balloon comprises at least oneprotrusion for directing the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent.
 8. Theballoon catheter of claim 2, wherein the inner surface of said outerballoon comprises a first protrusion having a shape, and the outersurface of said inner balloon comprises a second protrusioncorresponding to the shape of the first protrusion to create a channeltherebetween.
 9. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein the wall ofsaid outer balloon has an abrasive outer surface for abrading tissue.10. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein said fluid source comprisesan electro-pneumatic pump.
 11. The balloon catheter of claim 10, furthercomprising a monitoring device for monitoring at least one patient vitalsign, wherein said pump controls the pressure to which the inner balloonis inflated based at least in part on the monitored vital sign.
 12. Theballoon catheter of claim 10, further comprising a monitoring device formonitoring at least one patient vital sign, wherein said pump controlsthe supply of the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent based at least inpart on the monitored vital sign.
 13. The balloon catheter of claim 2,wherein said fluid source further comprises a vacuum source thatevacuates fluid from the inflation chamber.
 14. The balloon catheter ofclaim 2, further comprising an imaging device disposed in said catheterfor viewing tissue in a bodily cavity.
 15. The balloon catheter of claim2, further comprising at least one imaging marker mounted adjacent tosaid inner and outer balloons.
 16. The balloon catheter of claim 2,wherein said catheter has a distal end with an opening therein andwherein said catheter has a third lumen in fluid communication with theopening for passing bodily fluids through the catheter.
 17. The ballooncatheter of claim 2, further comprising at least one sensor formeasuring at least one characteristic of tissue.
 18. The ballooncatheter of claim 2, further comprising a distal balloon positioneddistally of said inner and outer balloons and a proximal balloonpositioned proximally of said inner and outer balloons, wherein saidfluid source inflates the proximal balloon and the distal balloon bysupplying fluid thereto to create a chamber therebetween.
 19. Theballoon catheter of claim 2, wherein an outer surface of the proximaland distal balloons comprises a textured surface for preventing slippageof the outer surface on tissue.
 20. The balloon catheter of claim 2,wherein said fluid is a gas.
 21. The balloon catheter of claim 2,wherein the wall of said outer balloon has an outer surface comprising amesh sleeve of elastic yarn.
 22. The balloon catheter of claim 21,wherein the mesh sleeve is radiopaque.
 23. The balloon catheter of claim2, wherein the agent is doxorubicin.
 24. The balloon catheter of claim2, wherein the agent comprises at least one of cisplatin andepinephrine.
 25. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein the agent is5-4 fluorouracil.
 26. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein the agentis noscapine.
 27. The balloon catheter of claim 2, wherein the agent isdiltiazem augment taxol.
 28. The balloon catheter of claim 2, whereinthe agent is crizotinib.
 29. The balloon catheter of claim 2, whereinthe agent is erlotinib hydrochloride.
 30. The balloon catheter of claim2, wherein the agent is gefitinib.
 31. The balloon catheter of claim 2,wherein the agent comprises drug eluting microspheres.
 32. The ballooncatheter of claim 2, wherein the drug eluting microspheres containdoxorubicin.
 33. A method of localized delivery of a therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent to tissue, comprising the steps of: inserting acatheter into a bodily cavity, said catheter comprising an outer balloonhaving a wall with at least one opening therethrough and an innersurface; and an inner balloon at least partially disposed in said outerballoon, said inner balloon at least partially enclosing an inflationchamber and having an outer surface defining a space between the outersurface of said inner balloon and the inner surface of said outerballoon; supplying the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent to the spacebetween the outer surface of said inner balloon and the inner surface ofsaid outer balloon via a first lumen of said catheter; inflating saidinner balloon by supplying fluid to the inflation chamber via a secondlumen of said catheter to urge the therapeutic and/or diagnostic agentout of the at least one opening in the wall of said outer balloon andinto tissue; and repeatedly deflating and inflating said inner balloonby supplying fluid to the inflation chamber in pulsed fashion.
 34. Themethod of claim 33, wherein the wall of said outer balloon has anabrasive outer surface, and wherein the step of inflating said innerballoon comprises contacting tissue in the bodily cavity with theabrasive surface such that it abrades the tissue.
 35. The method ofclaim 33, wherein the step of delivering the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent to tissue further comprises inflating said innerballoon until the wall of said outer balloon contacts tissue in thebodily cavity.
 36. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of inflatingsaid inner balloon comprises supplying fluid thereto with anelectro-pneumatic pump.
 37. The method of claim 33, further comprisingthe step of using an imaging device disposed in said catheter tovisualize tissue in the bodily cavity.
 38. The method of claim 33,further comprising the step of measuring at least one characteristic oftissue in the bodily cavity via at least one sensor.
 39. The method ofclaim 33, wherein the agent is doxorubicin.
 40. The method of claim 33,wherein the agent is cisplatin, and wherein the method further comprisesthe step of supplying a second agent, said second agent beingepinephrine.
 41. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent is 5-4fluorouracil.
 42. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent isnoscapine.
 43. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent is diltiazemaugment taxol.
 44. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent iscrizotinib.
 45. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent is erlotinibhydrochloride.
 46. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent isgefitinib.
 47. The method of claim 33, wherein the agent comprises drugeluting microspheres.
 48. The method of claim 47, wherein the drugeluting microspheres contain doxorubicin.
 49. The method of claim 33,wherein the agent is a combination of at least one therapeutic agent andat least one biomarker, and wherein the method further comprises thestep of monitoring extravasation of the at least one therapeutic agentinto tissue via the at least one biomarker.
 50. The method of claim 49,wherein the biomarker is a radio-opaque marker.
 51. The method of claim33, wherein said catheter further comprises a distal balloon positioneddistally of said inner and outer balloons and a proximal balloonpositioned proximally of said inner and outer balloons, wherein themethod further comprises the step of inflating the distal and proximalballoons by supplying fluid thereto via at least one additional lumen ofsaid catheter to create a chamber between the distal and proximalballoons, and wherein the step of delivering the therapeutic and/ordiagnostic agent comprises delivering the agent to said chamber.
 52. Themethod of claim 33, wherein the step of delivering the therapeuticand/or diagnostic agent further comprises supplying the agent to achannel defined by a first protrusion provided on the inner surface ofsaid outer balloon and a second protrusion provided on the outer surfaceof said inner balloon such that the agent is delivered to a localizedarea in the bodily cavity.
 53. The method of claim 33, wherein the wallof said outer balloon has an outer surface comprising a mesh sleeve ofelastic yarn.
 54. The method of claim 53, wherein the mesh sleeve isradiopaque.